1) Navigation: Keep it simple (KISS), and make sure it's consistent from page to page. No matter where you place your menu bar -- either at top or down side -- always include a small text menu at bottom of every page. If you're one of those people easily impressed with Flash, don't design your navigation with it. There are still some people who don't have or want plug-in, so they won't be able to navigate your site. Besides, search engine spiders can't read it, so won't be able to spider individual pages of your site if navigation is done in Flash.

2) Privacy Policy: With all of concern over privacy on Web if you collect any type of information from your visitors (even if it's just an email address) you need to include a privacy policy. There are many online templates that will help you to create one easily. Once made, post a link to it on every page of your site.

3) Contact Information: Nothing drives me more insane than having to search through an entire website just to send owner an email. Post your contact info at bottom of every page of your site, along with your email address. Don't make me fill out a whole form when I just want to send a simple comment. Include your email address, hotlinked and ready to go.

4) Logos & Graphics: Please keep your graphics down to a reasonable size. No one wants to wait two minutes while your huge, beautiful logo loads onto screen. If you must use a lot of graphics to get your point across, I've got one word for you: Compression.

5) Fonts: Remember if you stray from using standard fonts that everyone has installed on their computers (such as Arial, Verdana, Times New Roman) viewer won't see your fonts as intended. Your users' computers will display your site in their default fonts. Stick to standards. If you must have a certain font used you'll have to turn it into a graphic to maintain its look.

"Referral" or "Word of Mouth."

The Internet takes this ancient form of "buzz" and promotion and amplifies it with a global network of people connected digitally. "Word of mouth" now has an Internet version called "word of mouse" (word of computer mouse). With greatly increased speeds, people refer things to their friends and families spreading word through Internet and to far-reaching corners of world.

Many smart marketers and publicity people have learned to harness power of viral publicity with Internet "Refer-A-Friend" promotional techniques and tools.

Examples of Viral "Refer-A-Friend" Promotions:

Viral "Refer-A-Friend" techniques can be used to promote just about anything under sun.

For example, Audri Lanford conducted a giveaway contest at her new www.wz.com website where she gave away 4 Sony PS2's before Christmas as a website promotion. According to Audri, she gave people who had entered Giveaway opportunity to get additional entries and additional chances to win by telling a few of their friends on Thank You page...

WZ.com Giveaway Promotion Thank You Page http://wz.com/ps2/indexw.html

On Thank You page, every giveaway entrant received following message: "Tell your friends about WZ.com, and get an additional entry for each friend you email." They are then given opportunity to tell their friends about giveaway at "Tell-A-Friend" page...

WZ.com "Refer-A-Friend" Page http://wz.com ellafriend/index.html

In return for favor, they receive an additional chance to win for every friend they refer. This simple addition increased Tell-a-Friend results by 96 times (9600%)!, said Audri.

This is an amazing (and inexpensive) way to increase traffic and sales!

Another example of "Refer-A-Friend" technique at work can be seen at Internet marketing guru Seth Godin's new IdeaVirus.com website.

"Unleashing The Ideavirus" by Seth Godin http://www.ideavirus.com/

"Unleashing The Ideavirus" is Seth Godin's excellent new book about viral marketing. Seth is promoting his hard copy book by offering book in its entirety - FOR FREE! You can download "eBook" version at his www.ideavirus.com website.

Why would Seth give it away for free?

Because offering something of high perceived value for free is an excellent way to promote something on Internet. People are excited that they can get complete book for free, so they naturally tell their friends. In fact, Seth Godin uses a viral "Refer-A-Friend" tool on this website as well...

IdeaVirus Send It http://www.ideavirus.com/sendit.html